Feeling sluggish? Low on energy? Get your va-va-voom back in just two weeks
You’ve got a to-do list as long as your arm and your emails are pouring in faster than you can pour yourself another cup of coffee. Trouble is, you’ve got no oomph.
Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, one in four of us reports feeling tired or sluggish most of the time. Of course, we all suffer from tiredness, poor mood and concentration every now and then — but if we’re regularly not firing on all cylinders and other health factors have been ruled out, there may be an important area of our health we need to address.
Lucy Williamson, an award-winning nutritionist who specialises in gut health, says: ‘Often, when we’re considering why we’re not feeling our best, we overlook our gut health, yet it’s so important.
‘Our gut microbiome, which is made up of billions of microbes, not only impacts how we absorb the nutrients from our food, but it’s also responsible for producing vital neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which can impact how our brain functions.
‘So if our gut microbiome is out of balance, this can have a huge knock-on effect on things like sleep, energy levels, concentration and mood.’ The good news? The more we look after our gut microbiome, the more it will look after us, and it isn’t complicated to do. In fact, with a few simple diet and lifestyle tweaks we can start to see changes in how we feel in as little as two weeks. Here, Lucy explains how…
Eat 30 plants a week
‘We want to be eating 30 different plants each week for a healthier and more diverse gut microbiome. That may sound overwhelming but, when you consider this includes fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, herbs, pulses, grains, cereals, oats and spices, it’s not as hard as it sounds. ‘It doesn’t have to be a big amount either — sprinkling seeds on a salad or a little chilli powder in your soup will all help.’
Try fermented food
‘Another simple way we can create a thriving gut microbiome is to add fermented foods or drinks to our diet. Live yogurt and kefir are both good sources of probiotics, which can help us increase the number of good microbes we have in the gut. ‘Small amounts — for example, 100ml of kefir a day — are enough and diet changes don’t need to be expensive. ‘Raw apple cider vinegar or sauerkraut are both quick and easy ways to get fermented foods into your diet.’
Reduce ultra-processed foods
‘One of the best ways we can help our microbiome to thrive is to reduce the number of processed foods we’re eating. ‘This is because heavily processed foods, which are usually low in nutrients and high in added sugar and salt, can play havoc with our gut microbiome. In contrast, natural foods, which are still rich in nutrients, help our gut health to thrive and help reduce inflammation in our body.’
Try a 10-hour fast
‘Did you know that having a good microbiome helps us to get better sleep? And it works both ways. Research shows that people who sleep well have a more diverse and beneficial microbiome.
‘This is because during the night when we’re resting, our microbes work hard to clean the gut and repair cells. Consequently, it’s no surprise that research suggests we should be giving our gut at least 10 hours of rest without food. Some research has even suggested 16. ‘Of course, everyone has different lifestyles but if you can avoid late-night snacking, your gut, and your brain will thank you for it.’
Reduce stress
‘When we’re carrying stress too regularly and for too long this can be damaging to our gut microbiome. This is because when we’re stressed, the hormone cortisol increases in our body, and our gut microbes do not thrive when cortisol is high. ‘The good news? Regular exercise and even just 10 minutes a day of breathing exercises or meditation can all help.’
● For more information, visit lwnutrition.co.uk